"Me? No, It's not me. I did not steal from Father." Terry was still in denial.
He pointed his fingers and dramatically said, "Father, you told me to frame Tristan." Your business partners were breathing down your neck for their share of the loot, and you gambled it away!"
Troy corrected. "No, you gambled. I covered for you, again and again." You even sold Tristan's horse to pay part of your gambling debt.
"You're both liars!" Tristan spat, stepping forward. "You stole the coins, the jewelry and the land titles. You were partners in crime. And when things went south, you blamed me."
Tara cut short. "Tristan, mind your manners."
Tristan gave her mom a dagger look. If looks can kill, this one can. "A mother's love should protect their children. But you? You were silent. You watched them destroy me - my name, my career, my life- and you said nothing."
The room fell silent for a long time. No one spoke.
Tara was dumbfounded. Tristan spoke from the heart. He was right. She tolerated his husband and Terry's mistakes. All she did was cry and pray. But she had not acted on Tristan's behalf. She was an unwilling accomplice, but liable just the same.
Tara broke the silence and apologized. "Tristan, I am sorry, my son. I have been remiss as a mother. I failed you. Please Tristan…please, give me a chance."
"It's not a mistake, it's a crime." Tristan corrected. "You're all going to pay for it. Watch me."
"Therese," he called out to her elder sister. "Unless you want to spend your life in a mana pit like I did, you better decide who you stand with."
Therese looked up and met Tristan's eyes. "I know what they did. I…I failed you. Please , Tristan, forgive me."
"Don't blame me. You should have accepted Lady Arriane's advances." Terry justified.
"I didn't know that the mana mining camp was that bad," Terry continued. "Lady Arriane assured me that you will be taken care of."
"Yes, taken care of, as in violated, deprived and degraded."
That's what they call discipline and punishment. Tristan snapped. "And I did not deserve any of that." "And my love life has nothing to do with that either."
Troy explained. "Terry told me to send you to the camp while we try to pawn the goods and get them back. The problem was, it took us a long time to retrieve them."
"What kind of a father, listens to one child, and plays deaf to the other? Don't you love me father?…Look at me!"
"I almost died... Not one of you even bothered to check on me. I hoped and prayed every night that one of you would come. You conveniently forgot all about me." Tristan, was red in anger and grief.
A servant broke the impasse and announced the arrival of a carriage.
"My Lords and Ladies…a guest has arrived. A distinguished visitor."
The carriage was in deep black with the emblem of a crescent wolf embossed on each side. Two strong horses pulled it. It stopped at the main entrance. "Halt," the horseman shouted.
A handsome man in a dark tailored cloak came out of the carriage. He stared at the people in the main entrance in search of someone.
Terry was furious. "Who the hell…"
Then his face turned pale.
"Lord Shannon, what a … what a pleasant surprise?" Terry stammered, rushing forward.
The Alpha said nothing. He ignored him and motioned for his aide to call Tristan. "Fetch him."
"I need to speak with Master Tristan." From the crowd, he raised his hand to acknowledge.
The aide announced. "Master Tristan. You're requested in the carriage."
Everyone looked at Tristan. Even Grandpa, who overheard the commotion, turned his head.
No one spoke as he walked forward.
Troy cleared his throat, as if to protest, but Lord Shannon raised a single hand. A silent command. And for some reason, no one dared disobey.
Terry stepped forward, flustered. "Lord Shannon…my Lord…this is a private matter."
"I didn't ask for your permission." Shannon's gaze cut through him like a blade. "The boy is under my protection now."
"On what grounds?" Troy finally found his voice, though his tone was unsure.
"On grounds of justice," Shannon replied smoothly. "And compensation." His lips curled ever so slightly. "Unless you prefer a formal inquiry into your... business arrangements. I'm told some of your documents are missing or you never had legal documents."
Troy and Terry went pale.
Tristan glanced between them. "Wait… who are you?"
"Someone who heard you play the violin once," Shannon said. "And never forgot."
Tristan's breath hitched.
Shannon's voice softened only for him. "You captivated a room and then vanished without a word. I sent inquiries but no one knew where you'd gone. No one said anything. Until I heard rumors from the camps."
"You… you found me?" Tristan asked, voice trembling.
"I pulled you out."
Tristan's heart skipped a beat. "Why?"
Shannon explained in a deep tone. "Because no one else did."
"Get in." He was ordered.
Tristan didn't hesitate. He walked past Tara, who cried silently; past Therese, who could no longer meet his eyes; and past Troy, who dared not speak again. He didn't look at Terry at all.
Before he entered the carriage, Tristan pointed at his filthy boots to ask if it's alright to step on the red carpet with it. And the carriage' owner nodded with a smile.
The carriage pulled away leaving the Mendez family baffled. "What just happened?"
Inside the carriage, Lord Shannon studied him. He was trying to compare his memory of a young gifted boy playing the violin and this boy in front of him…
Shannon studied him. "You've lost weight."
Tristan let out a dry laugh. "Among other things."
There was a pause.
"My Lord, you could have sent someone to fetch me.," Tristan sheepishly commented.
"I want to see you myself," Shannon replied. "I had to make sure it was you."
"And am I the one you were searching for?"
Shannon nodded . "Yes."
Tristan chuckled again, but it cracked this time. "Two years," he whispered. "Two years of darkness. And now I'm sitting in velvet."
He looked down at his hands.
"My fingers are trembling." Tristan said softly.
Shannon didn't interrupt.
"I dreamed of escaping. Of music," Tristan said quietly. "Of hearing applause again. But now that I'm free, I feel like a ghost."
"You're not," Shannon said.
"Sorry to disagree, my Lord. But you don't know what I went through," Tristan snapped, suddenly bitter. "What they did to me at the camp. What they let happen. My own family disowned me."
"You're right. I don't know everything that they did to you," Shannon replied calmly. "But I intend to find out."
Tristan turned his head to say something but held back.
"There's a place you'll go," Shannon continued. "Far from this city. It's quiet and safe. My people are already there, preparing it for you."
Tristan hesitated. "Not back to the manor?"
Shannon shook his head. "No. You're not safe there. And more importantly, you don't belong there anymore."
Tristan let out a slow breath. That, at least, he agreed with.
"And your hands," Shannon added, his voice lowering, "will heal. I've summoned a wolf-born healer who specializes in nerve restoration. She has helped soldiers recover from worse."
Tristan stared at him. "My Lord, why are you doing this?"
"I told you," Shannon said. "You played once, and I never forgot."
Tristan murmured. "That person no longer lives."
"Then become someone new," Shannon said softly. "Someone stronger."